The Rubin Museum of Art was a territory that I ventured out to this past weekend and I found it to be quite interesting and very informational. I, along with a group of friends, had many new experiences with this museum and despite the trip being assigned we still managed to have an enjoyable time. The museum does a great job of inviting its members to make connections and to visit again by organizing events such as the “Taste of the RMA” tour, 5-minute talks, and Friday K2 evenings.
The “Taste of the RMA” tour was a detailed introduction to the type of art and culture that can be found at the museum. The guide explained that Himalayan art from the Himalayan Mountains, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, India, Mongolia, and China was currently being exhibited. She further explained that much of the art was based upon Northern Buddhism by depicting Bodhisattvas, tantric deities, female deities, and wrathful deities. The art was very symbolic. This was accomplished by using representative postures, gestures, and implements. The tour guide helped us examine the art fully by explaining the history and philosophy of the pieces. My tour concluded with an illustration of the structure found in Tibetan scroll paintings. At the uppermost position of the paintings are the root deities, under those are the central deities, following that the entourages, and finally at the very bottom of the paintings are the protectors. These beings were also mentioned in the 5-minute talk that followed the tour.
The purpose of the 5-minute talk was to concentrate on one work of art found at the museum in order to learn and interact with it. The focus of our discussion was Magzor Gyalmo, a 19th century Tibetan/Mongolian statue that depicted a wrathful deity. Wrathful deities in Buddhism represent wisdom, compassion, and overcoming obstacles. These deities, this statue included, are made for the sole purpose of reminding people to suppress the negative aspects of human nature such as the Ego. This statue is symbolic of such suppression because the Magzor Gyalmo is sitting on top of a mule that is covered with a blanket of her son’s skin. Magzor Gyalmo skinned her son as a punishment for not listening to her demands. Another example of suppressing the negative aspects of human nature can be found in the skulls embedded in her headdress. The skulls represent impermanence and teach us to sever our ties with the Ego and the attachments we make to people and to the world. This discussion left me with something to contemplate at the conclusion of the night, which was the Friday K2 evening.
The K2 evening was an excellent way to end the night for a multitude of reasons. The Himalayan- inspired cuisine and music along with the relaxing and high class atmosphere provided an excellent location for a group of friends to not only test new foods but also to reflect on what was observed earlier throughout the museum trip. There was a bit of confusion early on concerning what exactly a K2 evening comprised of but we soon realized that the purpose of the evening was to attract more visitors and also to encourage previous visitors to return for another visit. The Rubin Museum of Art is a warm and friendly place to learn about different art cultures. It was a memorable experience even the second time I went!
